Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-02-12

Jack Mytton, born in 1896, was one
of the most reckless If not the best rider
to hounds ever known. Thu Myttons of
Halston, stood in the first rank for cen
turieE, and so far back as the Planta-
genets they represented the borough Of
Shrewsbury in parliment. Halston
house is situated about three miles from
Oswestry. slack" My ton was a fin
ished scapegrace from the age Of ten.
He was expelled from Westminster and
Harrow, and knocked down the private
tutor in whose hands he was afterwards
placed. AT Westminster he spent 8OOL
a yeaF-double the allowance which
was awarded him IN chRncery-and
when only IA years old he wrote to Lord
EldOn, the lord chancellor, for an extra
allowance on the grounds that he was
''gOing to be married" "Sir," replied
his loFdship, ''if you cannot live on your
allowance You may starve, and If YOU
marry I will commit you to prison" At
Is MyttOn was a cOrnet in the Seventh
Hussars, and was a most reckless games
ter, he sold out in his 23d year and then
married, but his wife lived only a few
years, and after that his career for sx-
travagance has seldom if ever been sur
passed. His practical Jokes were many
and not always harmless. A gentleman
who was frequently In his company re-
lates: ''Ae We were eating some sup
per IN the cOtfee-rOom of the hotel at
Chester during the race week, a swell
who was a stranger to all of US, was
standing with his back to the fire talk
ing very loudlv-having drunk too much
wine. pu stop him, very quickly
said MyttOn, and getting behind upper
ceived, put a red-hot coal in his pocket -
4 less harmless Joke, Of which Mytton
was the author, was practiced on George
Underbill, the Shrewsbury hOrsedealer.
The latter rode over to Halston to ask
him for all or a portion of the large
amount that had long been due. After
having dined, and made comfortable IN
the stewards room, Mytton handed him
letter, and said: "Wel, George, I am
sorry to have been so long in settling, but
better late than never Here is an or
der for every shilling Of your money. Call
on this gentleman as you pass through
Shrewsbury, and he will give it to you
IN full" The gentleman to whom the
letter was referred was not only a bank
or, but one Of the governors OF the luna
tic asylum, and the order for payment
ran thus:
''SIR-Admit the bearer, George IN
derhill, into the lunatic asylum. Your
Obedient servant, JOHN AIYTroN."
When his fortune waned he began to
consider which OF his estates should first
go under the hammer. A relative,was en-
deavOring to persuade him from parting
with a certain property on the ground that
it had been so long in the family. How
lOng?' inquired MyttOn. ''Abovs SOC
years." was the reply. "The -it has.
then it Is high time it went out''
and ont it went. One who knew him
well declared that during the last fifteen
years of his life he spent no less than
half a million sterling.
The vagaries Of Mytton, the Marquis
OF Waterford, and even the late MARQUIS
Of Hastings, would be called fOolery in
these times, as the turf cannot be con-
sidered answerable for half the money
they squandered In other wild and ncn-
sensical escapades. Indeed, the last
named nObleman, whose fall Is to this
day attributed to racing, did more harm
to the sport in England than any other
man during the past century. At the
time he owed $4,000 and more to one
bookmaker, and when the latter would
have taken mortgage at 4 per cent, he
borrowed tbs money to pay part of this
on account from the '.Danebury Wolff
at go per cent. Such dealings as these,
and the high play after dinner, to say
nothing Of other vices, pernicious alike
to pocket and health, have wrecked
many mora fortunes than the turf and
betting can be made accountable for.